Fishermen Trespass Into Fishing-Ban Region For Olive Ridley Protection, 19 Arrested

Kendrapada: In the most recent raid on illegal fishing, forest officials in Odisha’s Kendrapada district on Monday arrested 19 seagoing fishermen for allegedly indulging in illegal fishing inside Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.

Four quintals of marine fish, 22 fishing nets, and four GPS gadgets were seized from their possession.

Two trawlers used by the intruders for fishing along the restricted sanctuary region were also captured by the forest patrol crew. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 was used to book the defendants. After their bail requests were denied, they were presented in Rajnagar court and remanded in detention, according to a forest officer.

Since the mating season of Olive Ridley turtles has begun, in order to prevent the turtles from being caught in fishing nets or colliding with trawlers during their mating season, the government of Odisha has put a seven-month ban on fishing activity from November 1 through May 31

The Forest department had urged fishermen not to go into the sea within 20 km of the shoreline covering 1,435 sq km of the sea from Hukitola to Dhamra in order to promote Olive Ridley turtle mating.

Recently, seven fishermen were arrested at the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary for illegal fishing in the restricted area. Their trawler was seized.

This fishing ban is imposed every year at the Olive ridley mass nesting coasts in accordance with Sections 2, 7, and 4 of the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA), 1982, and provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.